cloud computing

cloud computing

LINK / CITEADD TO FLASH CARDS

noun

The definition of cloud computing is the service of providing data, resources and software over a network as opposed to receiving them through individual software products downloaded onto the computer.

An example of cloud computing is an Internet-based data storage service.

cloud computing

computing in which software and applications are stored on remote servers and accessed via the Internet by users from their PCs

cloud computing

noun

The use of services made available on the internet for storing data and running software programs. Cloud computing replaces many of the traditional functions of the personal computer.

cloud-computing

Noun

(uncountable)

(informal, computing) Computing services provided over the Internet ("cloud"), whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand.

cloud computing - Computer Definition

Hardware and software services from a provider on the Internet (the "cloud"). Cloud providers replace inhouse operations and are invaluable for companies, no matter their size or applications. Cloud servers can be configured to handle tiny or huge amounts of traffic and expand or contract as needed.
Cloud computing comprises software, infrastructure and platform services (SaaS, IaaS and Paas), all of which are explained below.
Is Every Internet Function Cloud Computing?
Not necessarily. Although almost any computing performed in the cloud might be labeled cloud computing, it really came about in two ways. It arose with "software as a service" (SaaS) when applications were made available to companies over the Internet in the late 1990s. For the first time, internal IT departments were no longer responsible for application maintenance. Later on, companies such as Amazon and Google with massive datacenter and Internet expertise offered to lease their own infrastructure: "infrastructure as a service" (IaaS) and "platform as a service" (PaaS). See Amazon Web Services and Google App Engine.
Cloud Computing Features
(Self Service) The customer (end user or IT professional) signs up online, activates and uses the hardware and software from start to finish without phoning a provider to set up an account. Of course, tech support is always essential.
(Scalability) Servers can be quickly configured to process more data or to handle a larger, temporary workload such as Web traffic over the holidays.
(Speed) Major cloud providers are connected to the Internet via multiple Tier 1 backbones for fast response times and fault tolerance.
SaaS - Software as a Service
SaaS providers deliver the entire application to the end user, relieving the organization of all hardware and software maintenance. Myriad applications running from a Web browser use this model, including Web-based e-mail, G Suite and Salesforce.com's CRM. Customers pay by the number of users. For IT, this has been a paradigm shift, because security and privacy issues arise when company data are stored in the cloud.
IaaS/PaaSInfrastructure/Platform
Also called "cloud hosting" and "utility computing," "infrastructure as a service" (IaaS) provides the basic operating environment, which is typically the hardware and virtual machine (VM) infrastructure. IaaS may also provide the operating system. As well as their applications, IaaS customers must deploy and configure their "stack" of system software to the cloud servers. See virtual machine.
"Platform as a service" (PaaS) adds the "stack" (database, language runtime engine and other system components) so that customers only deploy their applications. With Iaas and Paas, customers pay by some combination of server size, execution time, amount of sharing, storage and downloads. There are myriad options. See stack, runtime engine and system software.
FaaS
At the most granular level, "function as a service" (FaaS) is the latest paradigm. Customers pay only for the time it takes to execute specific tasks (see serverless computing).
Datacenter Operation Is Major Work
Instead of operating its own servers, it can be more economical for a company to use the cloud and eliminate the security, maintenance, network and environmental issues with inhouse datacenters. In addition, commercial clouds may meet military standards for natural disasters.
The Virtualization Foundation
The cloud employs server virtualization, which, among other benefits, allows application workloads to be easily added and removed as self-contained modules. In fact, virtualization has been a major enabler of the cloud computing model. However, the amount of work required by the customer differs greatly. Configuring virtual implementations on servers can range from being almost entirely automatic to requiring that the IT administrator be thoroughly familiar with very technical software. See server virtualization and virtual machine.
Private and Hybrid Clouds
Enterprises can create private clouds in their datacenters that employ the same cloud computing infrastructure used on the Internet. The private cloud provides the same flexibility and self-service capabilities, but with complete control of privacy.
A hybrid cloud is both private and public. If the private cloud is overloaded, applications are activated on the Internet cloud. Extending software and databases from internal servers to a providers' servers and managing both venues from a central console are major issues in cloud computing administration. See fog computing, cloud management system, personal cloud, Windows Azure, thin client, cloud storage, colocation, Open Cloud Manifesto and Web application.